Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio said one of the “driving factors” behind the closure was the Trump administration’s freezing of Title X funds
Planned Parenthood is reducing its health care footprint in Northeast Ohio, citing losses of federal funding following cuts by President Donald Trump’s administration. The reproductive health provider is shutting down its Cleveland Health Center at 7997 Euclid Ave., according to a message shared with donors on Sunday morning.
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio said one of the “driving factors” behind the closure was the Trump administration’s freezing of Title X funds that have allowed clinics to offer family planning services to mostly low-income Americans for more than 50 years. In the donor message, CEO Erica Wilson-Domer said Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio will continue to operate its other three health centers in Cuyahoga County.
Planned Parenthood has clinics in Old Brooklyn, Rocky River, and Bedford Heights, as well as throughout Northeast Ohio in cities such as Akron, Canton, and Kent.
“Please know that we are always looking for ways to cover health care expenses for those in need. All patients received notice of the Cleveland Health Center’s closure, and we have worked to reschedule appointments at one of our three health centers in Cuyahoga County or through the Virtual Health Center,” Wilson-Domer wrote. “We will continue to reach out to patients and be here for them, no matter what.”
In April, 3News media partner Cleveland.com reported Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio was one of the national organization’s several affiliates that had millions in federal funding withheld.
Title X allowed the Ohio chapter to provide care to more than 50,000 patients annually, Wilson-Domer said. The loss of the federal funds, she added, “made continued operation unsustainable” at the Cleveland branch.
On Thursday, the United States Supreme Court ruled that states can block the country’s biggest abortion provider from receiving Medicaid money for health services such as contraception and cancer screenings. Wilson-Domer said that ruling “provided a new and painful blow to undermine Americans’ rights to health care of their choice.”
“Despite these developments, your dedication to protecting health care and sexual health education across Ohio continues to be a beacon of hope for us in hard times,” the Ohio chapter CEO told donors. “Each year, almost 50,000 Ohioans count on Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio for their care, and we serve an additional 100,000 individuals through the Ohio Center for Sex Education. Together, we empower Ohioans to take charge of their bodies, lives, and futures.”
